


What does it mean to be a dragon?

by dxnsalemons



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-07-31 11:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dxnsalemons/pseuds/dxnsalemons
Summary: Meereen is in chaos after the attack in the fighting pits, Daenerys had fled upon Drogon and comes across the land of Dragons. Here, she will learn what it truly means to be a dragon, and if there is more to life than fire and blood.





	1. Chapter 1

The lash was still in her hand. She flicked it against Drogon’s neck and cried, “Higher!” Her other hand clutched at his scales, her fingers scrabbling for purchase. Drogon’s wide black wings beat the air. Dany could feel the heat of him between her thighs. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst. Yes, she thought, yes, now, now, do it, do it, take me, take me, FLY!

For the first time in hundreds of years, Targaryens took to the sky.

Daenerys dared to look below at Meereen, smoke rose to the clouds from the carnage her child had caused. All she had wanted was to make peace with the Meereenese, for them to accept her rule, but dragons do not know peace.

Daenerys focused on the beast beneath her. She clutched the black horns tightly and closed her eyes. Dany’s breathing slowed gradually as they climbed higher and higher in the sky. She embraced the wind flowing through her silver hair and the half-singed silks that clung to her body. With every beat of his wings, Drogon and she merged into one; for a moment, it could thought that Dany was the one flying. It was her wings that moulded the air around them, it was her that cast the everlasting shadow upon the world. This is what it meant to be a true Targaryen. 

Free. For the first time, Daenerys felt free. 

Few moments passed and Daenerys joined with reality again. Though she found them still in the air.  
“What is it?” She asked her dragon. She studied the sky around them and noticed its beauty for the first time. They rested above the clouds, with Drogon’s wings fanning them away. Dany’s eyes locked into a dark figure in the distance. Clueless of what it could be, she commanded Drogon to follow. 

Slow at first, but Drogon’s speed increased as the figure moved further and further away. Her heart began to beat faster and faster as the wind screamed in her ears. What in seven hells could it be? 

The figure passed below the clouds and so did they. Dany was almost thrown from her mount’s back as they came to a halt.

“Drogon, wha-“ Daenerys heart stopped. 

Below them was a world unimaginable to even a child’s mind. 

Dragons. There were dragons. Everywhere. 

The wooden houses had dragons atop them. The coast along the island had dragons resting on the sand. A grand hall of some sort had dragons guarding the door. The luscious green hills, the farms, the ships all had dragons.

Throughout Valyarian history, dragons had always had differences, whether that was the shapes of their horns or the colours of their scales but they also had many aspects that related them. But these, these dragons are different. There was no two dragons alike. Some could have matched the size of Balerion the Dread, and others were no bigger than dogs. And the colours, they were beautiful, reds, blues, greens and purples. This world was too great for even herself to imagine.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since they had arrived to this land of Dragons. It could have been a few moments or hours, she did not care; Daenerys was mesmerised.

Eventually, Daenerys woke from her trance-like state. She pinched her arm, to stop her dreaming. And then pinched it again, and then again.

Daenerys was not dreaming. 

“Could it be?” She mumbled aloud, “That dragons roam the world outside of my grasp? Or am I dead, and I have come to unite with my ancestors?”

She kicked her heels, motivating for Drogon to fly closer. As they approached the island, Daenerys knew she was not dreaming.

“Halt!” A man's voice boomed as they came close to landing, “Who are you?” 

“What is this place?” She ignored his question, “How is it that dragons roam free here?” 

“I am not here to answer questions for strangers; Who are you?” The man insisted. The man stood tall, armoured in leather with his dark hair braided to his lower back.

“I would like to speak with your leader, take me to him.” Daenerys demanded. These people and this land are unfamiliar to her, she did not know where their loyalties lie. The man shouted another and whispered to him before he headed off into the direction of the grand building mounted on the hill. 

“Speak your name, then you will speak with the chief.” 

“I am Daenerys.”

Satisfied with her answer, he began to lead her in the same direction the previous man went. Daenerys first dismounted Drogon, but he was unwilling to leave her side. 

They arrived at what was confirmed the Grand Hall. It was a beautiful building, with statues built traversing the outer pillars and stories carved into the wood. Dragons stood alert by the door, anxious of their foreign visitor. 

Daenerys entered the Hall with Drogon looming overhead. By the roof and door size, Dany assumed the building was designed with dragons in mind. 

Dany was stopped before a large table, where a man and woman sat together. 

“This is Daenerys, the woman from the West.” 

A man sat centre of the table. He seemed short, and relatively slim with brown eyes and hair to match, with a single, small braid on the right side of his head. He could not have been any older than Viserys was before he perished. The man was undoubtedly handsome, but it was the woman to his right who truly caught her eye. She was slightly shorter than the man, and had her pale blonde hair braided similar to how Dany occasionally styled her own. She carried an axe at her waist, and her hand seemed to rest on its hilt. 

The man who escorted her there took his leave before the woman spoke, “This is Chief Hiccup Haddock III of Berk, son of the Great Chief Stoick the Vast. Who might you be?” 

“I am Daenerys Targaryen, first of my name, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, The Unburnt, Breaker of Chains,” Daenerys met the intimidating stare of the woman, “and Mother of Dragons.”

“And this is..?” The man asked, gesturing above her.  
“Drogon. My son.” Drogon seem to sound a gleeful hiss, it is not often someone cared to ask his name. 

“Where is your home? Are your people also dragon riders?”

Home. The word left a stinging in her heart. It has been many years since she left her home, and each day took her further from it. 

“My home is no more than a fading memory,” Daenerys was shocked that the words escaped her mouth, she would never show any signs of weakness to strangers. But these people were too enticing, “Though I am currently taking residence in Meereen, where I rule. And dragons no longer exist where I am from, my three children are the last.” 

“Three?” The woman’s grip grew tighter on her axe, “Where are the others?”

Chained like monsters below Meereen. The thought made her sad. These people allowed their dragons to roam free, to come and go as they please. Why could she not do the same with her children? Dragons know nothing but fire and blood, she thought, but maybe there was another way? A kinder, more peaceful way? If that is possible, Dany would like to learn it.

“They are still in Meereen; I could not leave my city completely defenceless.”

“Then why did you leave? Why did you travel all this way to Berk? Did you come to claim our dragons, and name them your children too?” 

Hiccup mumbled sternly to the women, and Dany caught her name from his sentence. Astrid, a pretty name, she had not heard anything similar before.

But what was she doing there? Why had Drogon taken her so far from Meereen? To find refuge? To seek our allies to aid her in the challenges she faced? Or was this a place she could call home? 

“I...” Dany’s mind ran empty. She did not know how to answer, how could she answer when all she had was questions, “We were following something in the sky, but from the circumstance I can see that it was another dragon. I did not mean to cause you trouble, and now I know what it was, we can leave.”

Time had come to an end here for Daenerys. Despite the pleading from the child within her, she could not stay, she has responsibilities in Essos, people had need of her and she could not deny them. 

“No, please, stay for a while. We would be honoured to have you as our guest,” Hiccup offered. 

Daenerys hesitated for a moment, “Well, if you insist.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Great, you may stay in my house. Please, follow me.” Hiccup rose to his feet and Astrid followed closely behind him. As they moved, Dany could feel the heat radiating from Drogon, more so than usual, and a growl escape his throat.

Unsure of his sudden concern, Dany reached out to comfort him, but as she raised her arm, a shadow bounced across the room until it arrived before her. 

Stood proud above her was a dragon, unlike any of the ones she had seen outside. This one was small, in comparison to others, and their scales were solely black. The dragon seemed to analyse her too, but quickly decided this strange girl was not a threat, and greeted Dany by licking her from chin to head. 

Dany cringed at the saliva covering her face, but she returned his greeting with a scratch under the chin.

“Sorry about that, Toothless here gets a bit too excited when visitors come around.” The dragon trotted alongside Hiccup as he passed by. Astrid fell behind and handed Dany a cloth before rejoining the group.

From behind, she noticed an odd contraption connected on Toothless. He appeared to have a fabricated tail, connecting to the saddle on his back. And in the same glance, she noticed Hiccup’s missing leg for the first time.

Dany giggled to herself, they must be close friends, she thought, friends always like to match each other. 

“Maybe I should make you a crown to match mine,” Drogon let out a deep sigh. She took that as his confirmation. 

The others were waiting outside, mounted upon their dragons. Hiccup was settled on Toothless and Astrid was sat atop a blue dragon, with great horns along its head and teeth to match their size. Dany climbed to Drogon’s back and followed as they leaped into the air. 

“So, Daenerys, this is Berk.” Hiccup gestured to the land, “Where humans and dragons live together as one. We work together to hunt, build and we pretty much do everything as a team.” 

The city was something out of a children’s story; every building stood proud, adapted for dragons in more ways than one. The forges contained dragons to transport materials and heat the fires, the docks had dragons and their riders coming to and from the ocean, carrying nets of fish. Each house was modified to fit the needs of the dragon living inside, some had large platforms on the roof, others had gates built into the roofs, to allow dragons to come and go as they please. 

They arrived to a house, high on a hill. From first sight, Dany could tell it was built for a king. No, a chief. She did not know what that meant, in truth, but she decided to save her questions for another time. 

Hiccup led Dany inside, and Toothless bounded in behind them, skipping around the main room and knocking over pots, pans and furniture. Hiccup walked Dany upstairs to her room. 

It was quaint, with a simple bed with wooden frame and clean linens, a small wardrobe and balcony that looked out over the sea.  
“I hope this is appropriate for you, there should be some of Astrid’s clothes in the wardrobe, I’m sure she would not mind if you borrowed them,” Dany had not noticed until then how her dress was falling apart, with sections singed up to her thigh caused by her fight with Drogon in the fighting pits.

Hiccup quickly made his way downstairs and left Dany alone with her thoughts. She investigated the clothing left in the room. The style of clothing was not unfamiliar to her, they were similar to the Dothraki’s style of garment. She dressed herself in the clothing and walked to the mirror in the corner of the room.

Dany admired her new look. She now wore leather trousers and a metal lined skirt, which she assumed was their style of armour. On her top, she wore a leather shirt that hugged her torso tightly, designed with a type of fur for warmth. In a certain light, she could be mistaken for Astrid. Dany decided she did not dislike that idea, Astrid was beautiful, there was no denying it. The thought of her caused a small smile to creep upon her face. The way she stood tall and proud, how with each word she spoke she emitted strength, courage and a type of confidence that would make any man cower in fear.

She wandered onto the balcony and gazed upon the sky. The sun was starting to set in the horizon, causing the blue sky to evolve into oranges, pinks and purples. Few stars had appeared too. Was Missandei watching the stars too, she wondered. Dany silently prayed she was, so despite the distance, there was still something to unite them. 

The stars were something to look forward to, they brought comfort for Dany. Wherever she was, the stars were still the same, they returned every evening and left every morning. They didn’t disappear, she decided, she just was not able to see them. The idea that the stars were always there, permanent in the sky, made her feel more permanent in the world. 

Every so often, the building shuddered as Drogon flew close to the house, ensuring that she was still safe inside. He seemed relaxed here, surrounded by his own kind.

In Westeros, her dragons were a unique presence, one that signify a great change in the world for either better or for worse. But here, dragons were as common as birds, so what does that mean for her? She gained her strength from her dragons, her courage, her power, what would she be without her dragons? 

A Targaryen, she defended. The last Targaryen. Without her dragons, she would be the last, the very last one. 

Consumed in thought, Dany did not notice other dragons gathering in the sky above. Drogon roared in protest, clearly uncomfortable with them invading his newly claimed territory. She also heard voices through the floorboards and realised Hiccup must have other guests over.

With a final breath of fresh air, she left to go join them. 

A group of young men and women had gathered in the main room, removing various parts of armour. Only one man seemed to notice her arrival.  
“Ah, the mysterious stranger everyone has been talking about,” The man who spoke was short, muscular with a poor attempt of a beard growing on his face, “I’m Snotlout,”

Snotlout? What a peculiar name, though she knew it best not to air that thought, “A pleasure to meet you. I am known as Daenerys Targaryen,”  
“You’re Daenerys?” One man asked, this one was tall but stout, and his voice seemed to break at the end of his sentence, “You’re quite different than what I thought.”  
“You know me?”  
“Everyone knows you here, you’re all anyone has been talking about. Though, you are much younger than what I imagined, and less intimidating.”

“Not intimidating enough?” Dany scoffed. She ventured slowly towards him as she talked, “I have fought my way across the world. I have been hunted by assassins, terrorists and mad-men since the day of my birth. I have bathed the slaver’s cities in blood, turned them into ash and bone. Only a foolish man would not fear me, am I right in taking you for a fool?” 

Dany suspected his response would in defence of himself, be all that left his mouth was a squeal, similar to a pig’s. 

Behind her, she heard laughter, “I like you. I like you a lot.” Snotlout expressed. The two people beside him were loudly chuckling. They look almost identical, with long faces and blond hair braided to their waists. Dany decided to giggle along too, in hopes to avoid further confrontation. She had only just arrived there, and did not wish to endanger her chances of a longer stay. 

She did not mean to lash out, but she felt comfortable in this place, and comfort helped her feel brave. 

The group gathered around the fire in the centre of the room, with a pot brewing a stew for their supper. There was not enough chairs for them all, so Dany sat on the floor beside Astrid.

While Hiccup served the meal, everyone introduced themselves to her. There was Ruffnut and Tuffnut; the twins, Fishlegs; the man whom she had yelled at and Snotlout; the short, arrogant man who seemed to constantly gaze at her, slightly too long for comfort. 

The group shared stories and jokes with each other, laughing as if there was not a worry in the world. Dany stayed quiet mostly, she enjoyed observing these people. The bond they was so strong, she could tell that had been friends for a long time.

For a moment, Dany felt at ease. This place, these people, they reminded her of home. When she closed her eyes, Dany could almost imagine the house with the red door, she could smell the lemon tree from outside her window, she could hear the rasp in Ser Willem’s laugh. She opened her eyes, and for a moment, she saw the red door before her. 

“What about you?” She found the group watching her, “How did you get your dragons?” Ruffnut asked.  
Dany’s mouth went dry, the memories caused her great pain even now, “I was gifted them, three stone eggs on my wedding day, ‘They are stone’ they said, ‘The dragons do not live, but they are a beauty still’. I did not believe them, I could feel them, sense their energy…” Dany told the story of how her dragons were born, from the day she received the eggs to when they first came forth from the pyre, “They shared their strength with me. My brother dead, my son and husband too, they were all I had, if not for my children, I would not have been able to carry on,” 

The fire before her seem to mould to her words, showing her before the mother of mountains, the death of her son, and she saw herself walk forth from her pyre, with her black around her neck and her green and gold gathered at her breasts. Drogon roared from outside, and in her heart, she knew her children in Meereen joined his call. The images in the flames made her feel powerful.

I am the blood of the dragon, the last dragon. 

No, she was the last no more. 

She met the eyes of the group, they all had of awe and despair on their faces. Astrid took her hand and wiped the tears from Dany’s face, “I’m sorry that happened to you. Just know that whatever troubles you face back home, whoever may wish to harm you, they will not hurt you here. Berk is a safe space for you.”

Her words stung in Dany’s heart. Safe. She forgot what it felt like to be safe. Missandei told her she felt safe when they were together, but Dany did not understand how. How could a child feel safe, when all she brought upon her people was pain and suffering. But here, in the presence of these people, she understood. She finally understood what it felt like to be protected. 

Before she had the opportunity to respond, a woman entered the house. She was dressed in armour, painted with blues and reds. She had a head of auburn hair in a single braid down her back. This woman had a certain familiarity to her, and she realised she resembled Hiccup in many ways. His mother, she concluded. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when Hiccup greeted her with a short embrace. From the way they melted together as they joined, Dany could tell they had a close relationship. Was her mother’s love as strong as that, she wondered; she would like to believe it true. Their time together was much too short, and she knew no more of her than Viserys had shared. 

When Dany was alone, she would like to create stories, like those of a children’s book. She would often imagine themselves together on Dragonstone, playing in the sand by the shore. Other times, they were wandering the water gardens in Dorne, collecting flowers and playing with the children there. But in most, they were home together. Mother, Viserys and her, a family, a true family. 

Though she could not live in a world of ‘what could have been,’ her mother is gone, her brothers and father too. But she was still here, she was still surviving. 

“And this must be our guest!” Hiccup’s mother held out her arms and pulled Dany in for a hug too, as if they had been life-long friends. Her body went stiff at first, but she quickly calmed her nervous and returned the embrace.  
“It is an honour to meet you, my lady,” Dany greeted.  
“Please, there is no need to be so formal, you may call me Valka, dear.” Valka moved away from her and cupped Dany’s face in her hands, “Why, you are such a beauty, my dear, no wonder you have had the entire city talking. Oh, and your entrance! You are certainly a force to be reckoned with!” 

“Mum, please, give the girl some space!” Hiccup intervened, separating her and his eccentric mother. Dany found herself blushing at the compliments, it is not often she receives kind words in such a genuine manner.  
“Hiccup, I am just trying to make her feel welcome,” Valka defended, “Anyway, my boy, I have important news. The trapper ship we’ve been tracking has been spotted near the feeding grounds. I was going to go myself, but I assumed you would want to come.”

“Yes, we should handle it now before it sails too far out of reach,” The group of dragon riders jumped to their feet, quickly throwing on their armour on and racing out the door. Without a second thought, Dany followed them.

They climbed atop their dragons. Fishlegs was on a brown and fairly round dragon, with wings that were far too small for its body. Snotlout’s dragon was the biggest out of the group, red all over with a head lined with teeth that curved out from his bottom jaw and over his top. Ruffnut and Tuffnut shared a two-headed dragon, with each head often fighting for control. Astrid’s dragon, Stormfly she heard her say, was beautiful shades of blue and purple, with a large face and grand eyes and fierce horns sprouting from the back of her head.Valka’s dragon took her breath away, it’s colours we’re incredible, and it had four wings instead of two. But Drogon was the largest of them all, and the most menacing. 

Valka led them south to where she last spotted the ship. Dany did not understand the importance of finding it, but it could tell it was serious from how they reacted to the news.

“There!” Astrid pointed in the distance, where a large warship was slowly sailing south.  
“What is it?” Dany asked.  
“They’re dragon trappers. They sail around to all these different islands and capture the dragons there. Usually, they keep them chained and use them to fight other villages. The last big trapper we met, had thousands of dragons under his control and planned to use them to take over the world.” Astrid explained, but Dany’s mind went numb.

Chained.

Her children were chained. 

“What do you do to them?” She questioned, but was not sure that the words left her mouth.  
“We mainly just try to free the dragons, but more often than not, things don’t go to plan and we end up burning the ship,”

Valka rejoined the group, after encircling the ship, watching for guards, traps or any other risks.  
“Nothing out of the ordinary, about four guards on duty but it will be easy to hide in the shadows. There’s 16 medium sized cages, with 12 of them full,”  
“Great, so the usual plan then - Astrid and I will free the dragons, Ruff, Tuff-“

“No.” Dany said sternly. Everyone turned to face her, “I will go,”  
“No, it’s too dangerous, especially when you haven’t done this before.” Hiccup raised his voice, attempting to keep hold of command. These may be his friends, but they did not outright refuse their chief.  
“I need to see,” Dany met his eyes with hers, “I need to see this for myself,”

Without waiting for approval, she commanded Drogon to approach the ship. 

He swooped down low enough for Dany to slide onto the ship from his wing. After dismounting, he flew higher into the sky to hide within the night, by close enough for her to call on him for aid. 

Dany kept to the shadows as she advanced towards the closest cage. She felt grateful for her petite figure at that moment, it allowed her to move silently. 

She crouched before a cage and stared through the bars. And what stared back filled her with grief.

“Viserion..?” Her voice broke as she said his name. 

No, it cannot be. 

She blinked away the tears and focused on the beast. It was not Viserion, this dragon was red, not gold and cream. But the look in its eyes, it was all too familiar. A look of fear.

She had seen that before, the day she locked her children away from the world. It was the last she thing she saw before she locked them away forever. 

Dany choked back a sob. The dragon noticed her sadness and attempted to move forward but the chains around his muzzle, neck and body prevented it from moving. Dany stretched her arm between the bars and stroked his nose, hoping to comfort him if possible. It seemed to purr at her touch, she doubted this dragon had ever encountered a person who didn’t try to hurt it. 

Beside her, she noticed the dragon in the next cage was staring at her. She turned, and noticed all of the dragons were watching her. They all looked different, their sizes, colours, horns, everything. But the look on their face was identical. And this time Dany could not prevent her tears. 

Dany sat in the shadows and cried. She cried at the suffering of these beautiful creatures, their pain and their fear. Then she sobbed for her children, Rhaegal and Viserion, whom she chained like prisoners. 

“I am no better than these men.” She mumbled through her tears, “What mother chains her children? I, too, must be evil.” 

Mhysa, they deemed her. 

‘Mhysa! Mhysa!’ they would chant as she ventured through the streets. Mother to all, young Missandei had called her. But what mother would will her children to be trapped in the dark for eternity?

“I am not worthy of their love. Not worthy, not worthy…” 

“Who are you?” A deep voice echoed from behind her. Dany dashed to her feet, “What are you doing here?”

“Why? Why keep them like this?” Dany ignored his question, but her own were aimed at herself as much as they were aimed at him, “They are free creatures, they are not meant to be contained!”

“And you’re not meant to be here, girl, so tell me what you’re doing!” He said as he raised the sword in his hand.

Dany noticed a dark shadow lower itself onto the boat, and she could feel the weight shift forward. Having her son close to her made Dany feel strong, just as he had on her wedding night, just as he had every day since.

Mother of dragons, she thought. 

Mhysa.

In that moment, she decided was not only mother to her three hatchings, but to all. She was Mhysa to all.

The anguish she beared inside moulded and changed into a burning rage. No one would harm her children, not Drogon, Rhaegal or Viserion, not any dragon for as long as she is alive. Dany closed her eyes and saw nothing but red. Fire, she saw, fire and blood. 

Daenerys Targaryen opened her eyes and spoke a single word, “Dracarys,”


	3. Chapter 3

And Daenerys and Drogon roared as one.

A great pillar of flames attacked the man before her and before his screams could take hold, he was ash and bone. The heat caused her skin to bleed and blister but she did not feel the pain, she could not let herself feel it.

She quickly turned her attention to the cages, “Now Drogon, free them! Free them! Free my children!” She commanded.

All around her the fire burned away at the metal, cause it to melt and seep through the wooden deck. The dragons roared and pulled at their chains, finally having the chance at freedom. 

Shouting erupted from the stairway, and twenty men raced out, clutching in their hands swords, spears and axes. They stared at her, calculating the situation and debating whether they should take their chance at swimming to safety rather than fighting.

But Daenerys would not let them have a choice.

In her heart, she felt all the pain, sadness and suffering she had endured from the day of her birth until the fighting pits from that very day; her father’s betrayal, her mother’s death, Viserys’ abuse, her husband, her son, betrayal after betrayal. Her home being ripped from her grasp before she could even name it hers; and now, she felt nothing but anger, pure anger. Pure fire in her blood.

Before her, the men screamed in agony as their armour softened and dissolved into their flesh. They ran to the end of the boat, in hopes of the water curing their pain but they were all dead before they reached the edge. 

Dany focused her mind on Drogon. He was still working away at the cages. From his position, she noticed that he would not have seen the men gathering on the deck, nor would he have been able to intervene. 

The ship was readily sinking, with the entire deck in splinters. The cages were now no more than a pool of iron. Daenerys marched to Drogon and ordered him to stand still so she could mount him.

When Dany say atop her son, she went to observe the blisters covering her skin but they were no more. Shocked, she searched her body for burns but there were none. She felt her inner thighs and then Drogon’s scales. The heat was there, a temperature which no man could withstand, yet, her skin was not damaged, no pain could be felt. 

Through the fire and smoke, Dany spotted a man stumbling out from the stairwell, coughing and spluttering. Drogon opened his mouth and opened his mouth, brewing a final attack of flames.  
“No, take that one alive.” She commanded. 

Drogon complied; he pounced and snatched the man in his claws before returning to the sky. In the growing distance, the ship was no more than glowing campfire. Instead of returning to the group, Dany guided Drogon in the direction of island barely noticeable against the black sky. 

When they arrived, Dany dismounted and approached the man who Drogon has thrown into the sand. 

He had cut on his face and some minor burns on his arms, but other than that, he was unhurt. 

“Get away from me!” He screamed and scurried back from her, “You… you… and…” He met her stare, “Who are you? What do you want from me!?”

“When your people come to rescue you; if they do. Tell them what happened here. Tell them of the horrors they will face if they dare to harm another dragon.” Dany crouched before him, her eyes fixated on his, she whispered, “Tell them Daenerys Targaryen will come for them. Tell them the dragon does not know mercy.” 

Astrid approaches her from behind and laid a hand on her shoulder, “I think he gets the message,” Dany met her eyes, and for a moment, Astrid looked scared too, though the look was replaced with her usual stern expression.

Dany nodded in agreement. She turned to return to Drogon, but instead, she saw the rescued dragons arranged in the sky, all their eyes locked on her.  
“Dragons.” Dany’s voice echoed around them, “My children, you are free now. Return to your homes, continue to live as you did before. Or you can follow us, and come to a land where you will be safe and protected until the end of time. The choice is yours.”

The sky stayed silent, the atmosphere remained still. No dragon turned and left. Instead, they seemed to move closer, wanting to draw strength from her, feeling comfort within her reach. 

The Mother of dragons. A voice whispered in her mind. The Mother of monsters. Do you remember what happened the last time you claimed wild beasts? 

“No.” She mumbled aloud. These are different dragons, a different world. A better world.

From a distance away, Toothless sneered at the dragons, and they reluctantly shifted their attention to him. Hiccup mounted his dear friend and they launched into the sky as one. The group followed, but Astrid stayed by Dany’s side.

Astrid put her arm around her shoulders, and Dany nuzzled into her side. She had forgotten what it felt like to take comfort in another woman.  
“What you did back there…” Astrid took a deep breath, “Was seriously dangerous and crazy. But, it was also amazing. When the fire started, we thought you were done for but then we saw you walk among the flames, completely unbothered by them.” 

Hearing Astrid speak so highly of Dany’s action forced a smile upon her lips and this time she did not try to hide it, “Do you think I made the correct decision? Or was there another way?” Dany asked in a small voice. She never had the courage to ask her advisors about her actions before, their opinions on the matter would without a doubt be what she wanted to hear but never what she needed to hear.  
“Another way? Definitely. There is always another way to do things. You could have tried to talk to the trappers first or left them to their trade altogether. But you made the choice you thought was best, and luckily, it turned out right.” Astrid paused and took Dany’s hands, “What I’m saying is that you found yourself in a situation and you found a solution by following your heart, no one can fault you for that.” 

Followed you heart. The words stung in her mind. She had followed fire and blood, the way of the Targaryens, the way of the dragon.

Astrid didn’t push for a response, and for that Dany was grateful. They mounted their dragons without a word to each other, but Astrid gleefully greeted Stormfly before climbing upon her back. Dany followed her lead, and they flew back to Berk together. 

The night air was still and silent, with the only sound being emitted from the beating of wings from the dragons. Nothing had changed, besides the new followers, but Daenerys felt different; Stronger, more powerful even. Possibly she felt more fulfilled, as if the hole in her heart had shrunk ever so slightly. 

As they arrived on Berk, people quickly greeted them and showed the dragons to a place where they may rest and provided them with food and water. After sharing the story of the dragon’s rescue, Hiccup, Valka and Dany headed back home to rest for the night. 

It did not take long for Dany to fall into a deep slumber.

Laughter filled the busy streets as the shone high above the streets of Braavos. Dany ran among the other children she had befriended that day; ducking and swerving in between the groups of people trading at the merchant stalls. 

Dany tripped into the mud, but rose to her feet as swiftly as she fell, wiping the dirt from her hands onto her tattered dress without a second thought. As she began to run again, she came across a sweet smell, one too enticing to ignore. 

“A lemon cake!” She squealed as she raced towards the baker’s stall. It was at an odd position, built away from the rest of the market, with no customers besides herself. 

With a smile on her face, Dany dug into her delicious treat, and the cake turned to dust in her mouth. Confused, she glanced at the baker, and saw a charred skeleton in his place. 

Dany fell back in horror once again, but this time did not hurry to return to her feet. She took a deep breath and attempted to stand again, though her legs wobbled as she stood, her knees daring to buckle underneath her weight.

The sweet smell of lemons was gone, and the tainted smell of smoke had replaced it. Dany forced herself to turn and stifled a scream.

Fire, she saw. Fire had engulfed the market. Where merchants once stood, piles of dust and bones now lay. Their stalls remained for now, though the fire did not seem to be dying out any time soon. 

Reluctantly, Dany wandered back down the street she arrived from, unable to remove her eyes from the piles of bodies that continued to grow. The remains of her friends seemed to appear beside her as she wondered and Dany forced herself to look at them, to remember their faces as they once were; their hair, their eyes, the pinkness of their cheeks and the shape of their lips. But they all blurred into one.

At the end of the street, from the flames grew a door, that stood tall and proud, painted in red and unharmed by the fires that roared around it. 

With new found motivation, Daenerys marched forward. The closer she got to the door, the heavier her dress became. What once was a tattered cloth, was a gown woven from the finest silks in Essos, and a crown of dragons resting upon her head. 

The door was almost with her reach! Just a few more steps to go!

Dany hopped and skipped over the bodies of her who must have been her advisors; Barristen’s sword laid to her right and Missander’s dress directly before her but Dany paid no mind to them; she was almost home. She soon found herself standing directly in front of the red door. 

Dany’s hand found the handle. The door opened and she walked through without a glance back. 

And Daenerys now stood at the edge of Berk.

Dany sat up in a daze, taking several moments to register where she was. This was no the pyramid in Meereen, no. This was Berk, a land worlds away. 

In the darkness, Dany did not notice another person in the room. The figure rested on the edge of her bed and lit a candle on her bedside.

“Valka..?”  
“Yes, my dear,” Hiccup’s mother spoke softly, in a comforting tone that was more than reassuring to her, “I heard cries coming from your room and I wanted to make sure you were alright. May I?” She gestured to her sheets, and Dany’s opened gap, allowing Valka to wrap up beside her.

She put her arm around Dany’s shoulder allowing her to nestle into the embrace, “How are you feeling?”

For once, Dany did not know the answer. How was she feeling? After all that happened yesterday, her mind was not able to comprehend her emotions in the slightest. 

“Hiccup tells me you are a queen in your lands? I can’t imagine how difficult that must be for you, especially with you being so young.”  
“It scares me.” Dany’s voice was barely audible, “Ruling alone,”  
“You rule alone? Do you not have anyone to help you? Family? A Council?”  
“No.” Dany felt a tear run down her cheek, “I am the last of my family. My father dead. My mother and brothers too. My son, my husband, there is no one but me.”

Valka remained silent for several moments, “I lost my husband too. Hiccup’s father. It was a mere 8 months ago.”  
“Hiccup told me of his death. He was a brave and honourable man. Though the same can’t be said for my father.”  
“Tell me of him.”  
“The mad king, they called him. Stories are told of his cruelty, of how he took joy out of burning men alive in the throne room. My eldest brother was addicted to prophecy kidnapped a girl no older than myself. Viserys is the one who raised me, but I often debate whether I would have been better off if he had an early death too. The men of my family are only remembered for their cruelty, yet I mourn them still. Sometimes I wonder whether I am any better than them.”

“I don’t know the extent of your father’s acts, nor of your brother’s, but from the few moments I have spent with you, I know you are not like them. You have kind eyes and a gentle heart, Daenerys; those are the greatest qualities of a leader.”

A gentle heart. Ser Jorah her the same thing, though he spoke of it as a weakness, not a strength. But Jorah did not know of the land of dragons, he knew only of the harshness of Westeros and Essos. The dragons were different, they thrived while gentle rulers were in control. 

Being in Valka’s warm embrace, Dany felt herself fighting to stay awake, the comfort of being with a woman so kind made every muscle in her body relax.

“Daenerys, I would like you to know that I am here for you, whenever you need support or guidance or simply a hug, please don’t hesitate to come to me. I was never able to be there for Hiccup during his youth, so allow me to be here for you.” 

“Dany. I would like my friends to call me Dany.” And with a final breath, Dany slipped into her slumber once more.


End file.
